Ulquiorra Cifer
Ulquiorra Cifer (Ulquiorra Schiffer in the English Dub) is the Cuatro (4th) Espada in Aizen's army of Arrancars. Background Physical Appearance Ulquiorra is a slender, yet fairly muscular, male Arrancar of average height with a melancholic appearance, fairly short, messy black hair, pale white skin, a black upper lip, and green eyes with slit-shaped pupils similar to a cat's. Part of his bangs falls between his eyes, and he has distinctively thick eyebrows. He has teal lines that descend from his eyes, making it appear as if he is crying. His facial expression rarely changes, and he is almost always frowning. He wears typical Arrancar clothes: a white jacket, a black sash, white hakama, black tabi, and white zori. However, his jacket seems to have two longer coattails than others, and the collar is rather high. Like most other Arrancar, he possesses remnants of his former life as a Hollow in his appearance. His Hollow hole is located on his sternum, though the hole was initially located on the base of his throat. The remainder of his Hollow mask lies on the top-left side of his head, forming a broken horned helmet. His Espada tattoo lies on the left side of his chest. Personality Ulquiorra is a very cold, callous, and dispassionate figure, and is rather aloof, brooding, and indifferent, willing to harm both his comrades and enemies should they get in his way. He refers to anyone he does not find interesting as "trash", and treats them as expendable. Despite this, like most of the other top Espada, he is not particularly violent, and will only fight when provoked or ordered to by Aizen. As stated by Grimmjow, Ulquiorra demonstrates a strange habit when killing victims he is particularly interested in; he stabs them with his bare hand in the same location as his Hollow hole. Whether he is consciously aware of this habit or not is unknown. During a speech to Orihime, he claims he does not believe in Human emotions, which he refers to as the "heart," reasoning that if his eye cannot see them, they do not exist. These words, and much of Ulquiorra's overall behavior, reflect the concepts of materialism, which connects to his aspect of death as an Espada, Emptiness. In the last seconds of his life, he seems to finally find his own "heart", and understands feelings. His cold demeanor allows him to stay completely calm and in control in most situations, and he is not easily surprised or caught off-guard. However, he does not seem to comprehend the Human trait of fighting against all odds or the concept of the Human heart; during his final battle with Ichigo, he completely overwhelms the Shinigami after releasing his Zanpakutō, yet Ichigo continues to fight on regardless of this. Because of this, he, shouting at Ichigo out of frustration, tells him "to continue fighting is pointless." He transforms into his Segunda Etapa form in an attempt to show Ichigo "true despair". He seems to contradict himself, telling Ichigo that although it is natural for Humans to mimic Hollows to become stronger, they will never be the equal of Hollows, though the Arrancar are doing much of the same by mimicking Shinigami. Ulquiorra is highly perceptive, cunning, and analytical. During his and Yammy's first visit to the Human World, he makes several surprisingly accurate comments on the Humans who confronted them. He theorizes Orihime Inoue's healing power is a temporal-spatial ability, which Aizen later describes as the rejection of fate, and comments on how Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai can easily cut through Yammy's defenses. He notes how Ichigo's power fluctuates, varying between very weak and stronger than his own. Ulquiorra is very demanding, coming to Orihime's chamber and ordering her to eat a meal an Arrancar servant brought in, claiming that, for Aizen's benefit, it was her "duty" to stay alive. When Orihime hesitates, he threatens to force the food down her throat or strap her to a table and feed her via an IV. This implies that, while he prefers not to dirty his hands, Ulquiorra is fully capable of committing truly abhorrent and inhumane actions without feeling any shred of remorse or hesitation. After Ichigo's Hollow form overwhelms and strikes him down during his last battle, Ulquiorra, maintaining his composure, calmly berates himself for being defeated by a "Human-turned-Hollow." Believing he no longer has a purpose in life since he was quickly defeated by his opponent, he, demanding Ichigo kill him, compliments Ichigo when he decides to use a point-blank Cero to kill him, claiming the lack of mercy is "rather Hollow-like." This is a marked departure from most of his fellow Arrancar, who died cursing their enemies or with an abject fear of death. He even has no qualms over fighting either men or women, because he states that "all beings who are beneath him are trash", such as during his two seperate battles with Karin Kurosaki, even hurting her badly to make the young girl understand futility against an Espada. Synopsis Abilities Master Swordsman Specialist: Though he rarely engages in it, Ulquiorra is highly skilled in swordsmanship. He possesses flawless precision, and uses his speed to inflict lethal attacks without much effort. Ulquiorra prefers to wield his sword with his right hand, leaving the other hand free, though it usually remains in his pocket. He is quite adept at blocking. He fended off Ichigo when he was using his Hollow mask-enhanced Bankai long enough to reach the top of Las Noches, though his Zanpakutō was nearly broken. He was also able to fight on par with a fellow swordsmaster like Karin Kurosaki in her Bankai during their second battle, even not using his full skill from the start. Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Ulquiorra mostly relies on hand-to-hand combat, rarely drawing his sword at all. Both Ichigo and Karin speculates he only draws his sword against opponents he considers "worthy". Ulquiorra seems to prefer an off-the-ground method of combat, often attacking opponents from aerial standpoints, such as when he attempted to use his Cero on an offending Grimmjow by attacking him from the air above his head, or when he jumped upwards with Sonído in an attempt to catch Ichigo off-guard during their most recent confrontation. His trademark attack towards prey he likes is to impale them in the chest, gouging a hole in them in the same place as his own. Sonído Master: One of Ulquiorra's more noticeable traits is his tremendously skillful speed. He caught up with Ichigo after kicking him from a tower in a few moments. He can skillfully keep up with Ichigo's Bankai-enhanced speed. Ulquiorra moves at an excessively fast speed in combat, so fast Ichigo found it hard to even discern his movements at first. He remained able to use Sonído while being burdened with the absence of most of his left leg. Cero: Ulquiorra has been shown using Cero from his fingers with very destructive power. His Cero can be charged and fired relatively fast and is a green color instead of crimson red, which is the most common color of a Cero. The force of the blast is powerful enough to send an opponent hurtling long distances effectively destroying any obstacle in its path at great range. He is shown able to fire it from either hand. Bala: This technique hardens the user's spiritual pressure and fires it like a bullet from their fist. Ulquiorra's Bala is red, and is powerful enough to blast a huge hole into two unseated Shinigami. Enhanced Hierro (Iron Skin): The hardened skin of the Arrancar, which is a result of their compressed spiritual power. Ulquiorra's skin is highly durable, even by Arrancar standards. He can deflect attacks of similar power barehanded. He can defeat Ichigo with his Bankai and Hollow mask on without unsheathing his sword, rendering Ichigo defenseless with two attacks and not sustaining injuries of any kind. The best example of his Hierro's might is him taking a direct slash from Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu with only a minor cut on his chest, while his fellow Espada Yammy Llargo lost an arm from the same opponent. Enhanced Pesquisa: The Arrancar ability to sense spiritual energy. While any Arrancar can learn it, Ulquiorra has shown impressive skill with it. From a single glance at his opponent, Ulquiorra can immediately determine how powerful his opponent is. He is also able to comprehend the flow and concentration of the person's energy as shown from his ability to instantly notice Ichigo's energy was fluctuating due to his inner Hollow. High-Speed Regeneration: Despite having great speed, durability, and attack power, Ulquiorra's greatest strength lies in his regenerative power. This power allows him to regenerate his eye after using his Solita Vista ability. During his battle against Ichigo's new Hollow form, he is even able regenerate his arm after having it torn off. Ulquiorra states it is his greatest power, one which most Arrancar give up in return for greater strength. He explains he can quickly regenerate any part of his body except for his brain and internal organs. Solita Vista (All-Eyes World): This ability allows Ulquiorra to replay events he has seen to others by removing and crushing an eye, which turns into dust and flows around those he intends to use it on. The dust relays his sight and feelings. Descorrer (Splitting Void): A technique used by Espada-level Arrancar, and sometimes others, to open a Garganta between the Human World and Hueco Mundo. *'Garganta Broadcast': Ulquiorra can create a visual broadcast, similar to a television screen, using individual Garganta portals. He uses this technique to show the current predicament of Orihime's friends (Ichigo, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Rangiku Matsumoto) fighting their respective battles. Keen Intellect: In addition to his remarkable combat prowess, Ulquiorra is also gifted with great insight and understanding to situations at hand. His intelligence is such that even Aizen, a man arguably best-known for his intellect, has respect for as he sent Ulquiorra to investigate Ichigo's power and threat level. With his calm and collected nature, Ulquiorra has can be highly perceptive and analytical, allowing him to easily deduce the basic idea of his opponent's skills to figure out its strengths and weakness. Enhanced Strength: Ulquiorra has proven to be deceptively mighty for his build. He has shown the ability to physically discipline Yammy, an Espada known primarily for his strength with no visible effort. He can upturn huge portions of rock floor with a single strike at the ground with his sword. He has also shown the ability to kick Ichigo a tremendous distance with one strong kick. He was able to slice through Karin's Bankai-enhanced Hetsuga Tenkō in half with no effort shown. Immense Spiritual Power: As an Espada-class Arrancar, his spiritual power is immensely high, comparing his own spiritual power to the likes of Ichigo. As the fourth Espada, he is forbidden from releasing his Zanpakutō within Las Noches, as such a release could destroy the fortress. During his first visit to Karakura Town, he compared his spiritual power to that of Ichigo Kurosaki, a Shinigami with exceedingly high spiritual energy, and states Ichigo's energy at its peak is higher than his own, but fluctuates. His Reiatsu is green. Zanpakutō Murciélago (Black-Winged Great Demon): Ulquiorra's Zanpakutō takes the form of a standard sized katana with a green handle and sheath. The guard has two curved extensions from its long sides, with a line going through both sides to give it an eye-like appearance. *'Resurrección': Its' release command is "Enclose". Murciélago unleashes with a burst of spiritual energy that falls around Ulquiorra as black rain. In his released state, Ulquiorra becomes bat-like in appearance. He gains giant wings on his back, his hair becomes longer and wilder on the left side of his head, and the remains of his Hollow mask centers atop his head, with two large horns extending outward to the sides towards the front. The lines on his face become broader and more triangular and his fingernails lengthen. His Arrancar attire becomes more form fitting and closed at the top, becoming more like a robe towards the bottom. In this form, he can use his wings for flight. Resurrección Special Ability: *'Luz del la Luna' (Light of the Moon): Ulquiorra can generate green energy javelins. He can use them as long-ranged weapons, throwing them at an opponent, and as a melee weapon for close-range combat. It can even be used in his Segunda Etapa form. *'Enhanced Offensive Power': In his released state, Ulquiorra's offensive might and attack power are both greatly increased to the point where he overwhelm a Bankai- and Hollow mask-enhanced Ichigo in a short amount of time. *'Enhanced Speed': His speed is greatly enhanced, moving great distances in an instant as if to displace himself, and pushing Ichigo to the point where his Hollow mask-enhanced Bankai has difficulty keeping up. *'Enhanced Hierro': His Hierro has also vastly increased in strength to the point where a Bankai- and Hollow mask-enhanced Getsuga Tenshō fired by Ichigo activated has no effect at all. *'Enhanced Spiritual Power': Though already possessing immense spiritual power once released his spiritual energy permeates the area, it is intense enough to create a heavy affect on others as well as to cause what appears a black rain to fall in the surrounding area when he releases. His Reiatsu is now black with a dark green outline. *'Cero Oscuras' (Black Hollow Flash): It is a black Cero with a green outline, which Ulquiorra states to be similar to Ichigo's black Getsuga Tenshō. Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras is powerful enough to blast Ichigo's mask away, critically injure the Substitute Shinigami, and destroy a large part of the city-sized Las Noches' dome. Ulquiorra refers to it as "our Cero". It can be used in his Segunda Etapa form. *'Resurrección: Segunda Etapa '(Sword Release: Second Stage): Upon his transformation, Ulquiorra boasts that he is the only Arrancar among all the Espada who is able to reach a second Resurrección form, and that even Aizen has not seen him in this form. Ulquiorra refers to his second state as "True Despair", both before and after its release, because the immensely dense spiritual pressure it releases instils despair upon those around him. While he retains his black wings, his long white coat is gone, revealing a more defined musculature with his chest bare and Hollow hole (which has become larger) dripping black, blood-like liquid. His waist becomes covered in something similar to black fur, which also covers his arms and legs. His fingers grow claw-like extensions and his feet become like talons. His irises of his eyes turn yellow while the sclera becomes green. The tear-like marks under his eyes increase and turn black. Ulquiorra's mask remains turn into two long horns, and the #4 Espada tattoo is no longer visible on his chest. **'Lagito' (Spanish for Whip): He grows a very long and thin but powerful tail which is capable of being used as a whip or to lift and strangle a victim. **'Tromba' (Devil Whirling Strike): Ulquiorra rapidly flies around the enemy in a circle while leaving damaging green energy behind him, inflicting both blunt and burning damage to the target in a unique way. **'Vuello Oscuras' (Black Soaring Attack): With his wings, he flies forward and loop-de-loops before surging forward, damaging all enemies in his path. **'Lanza del Relámpago' (Lance of Thunder and Lightning): Ulquiorra creates a javelin-like weapon using his spiritual power, which he can use as a projectile or as a physical weapon. When thrown, it produces an incredibly-destructive explosion on impact, which dwarfs the fortress of Las Noches in height. Ulquiorra prefers to not use the attack at close range, most likely because the resulting blast would damage himself as well as Las Noches. While he can use these spears in rapid succession, he has difficulty controlling their trajectory. Ulquiorra is also able to use this attack as a blade, which disintegrates material upon impact; as seen when he struck away his own amputated arm, that Hollow Ichigo had just thrown at him. The spear can also be quite effective at cutting, as seen when he used it to sever one of Hollow Ichigo's horns to prevent him from using a Cero. **'Overwhelming Reiatsu': Ulquiorra's already-immense spiritual power significantly changes its Reiatsu's nature upon entering his second stage. Even being within the vicinity of his release instills despair on those who can sense it. Uryū Ishida, a Quincy who is an expert at sensing Reiatsu, noted that the density of Ulquiorra's spiritual power was so vast that it could hardly be identified as Reiatsu. 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